Aiden Matthew Beauvais!

Almost three weeks early, Aiden made his debut on October 4, 2009, weighing in at 8 pounds, 1/2 ounce. Labor was pretty quick again; I woke up around 4am with some contractions but wasn't sure if they were the real thing since I'd been having them for so long. I went downstairs and unloaded the dishwasher and picked up a little, which should have been clue enough for me!! I never want to clean! About 4:30, I decided we should probably go ahead to the hospital and get checked since Charlie's labor went so quickly. I woke Brian up and he took a shower while I packed a little bag, and then we woke Peggy up to tell her we were going in and would call when things got started. Ha!

We got to the hospital around 5am, got the labor room (YEAH!!!) and settled in. The nurse wanted to do a fifteen minute "strip" which is a belt that they put around your belly to monitor contractions and baby's heartbeat, and all was calm and smooth. Until the strip was over and the nurse checked me... I was dilated to an eight, completely effaced, and baby was ready to come! Anyways, that was the last we really saw of the nurse - she was off to call the doctor and get the baby bed and all the stuff that nurses get when a baby comes along.

Which made the labor way different than my others. It was just Brian and I, and that was so sweet. He was wonderful, even when I inquired about a C-section, a club for the head.... anything to make the contractions stop... I honestly thought that I had several more hours! Not to be, though, because after just a few minutes, it was time to push. At 5:30, I told Brian that I couldn't hold off much longer, he had better call his mom and tell her to hurry! Well, Peggy never made it, which made me sad. I thought that it would be neat for her to be there, but she stayed back with Kailyn and Charlie and brought them up to meet their new brother shortly after the birth.

It was amazing to have only Brian by my side. He offered gently reassurance that this was all natural and that I was helping our baby to come out. He helped me pace my contractions, and I couldn't have asked for a better "coach" - not that I have any complaints with all the nurses, my mom, and Merreley there with the other two children, but there was something very special to me about having only Brian to help me through labor.

So, from being woken up at 4am with contractions to having a baby in my arms at 6:20, I would say that I was blessed!